Who will gain promotion from the Championship this season?

http://www.footyplace.com/features/derby-blackburn-forest-wolves-among-promotion-hopefuls-0806298389

^^ A brief summary to go off. It's obviously going to be wide open, but I'll go with Norwich City, Wigan Athletic, Derby County.

Some stats for you again before my own predictions.

Just 7 of the 30 teams relegated from the Prem in the last 10 seasons up to the 2012-2013 season were promoted again immediately. 5 of these were automatic and 2 via the play offs. 14 out of the 30 teams achieved a top 6 position of any kind.

From the three Prem relegation positions 18th place was the most conistent with no team relegated in this position finishing lower than 9th in the last 9 seasons.

19th place managed to subsequently finish 11th or lower in the Championship  5 times over the 10 seasons.

20th place was the most Jeckyll and Hyde with 2 subsequent automatic promotions, 2 play off wins and 1 relegation.

What does all that mean? I have no idea    but it does point to the fact that people look to the relegated teams a bit too easily to be the ones to bounce back again.

My own predictions are for Derby and Wigan to take the automatic spots. The play offs are a lottery but i think Norwich are the most likely relegated side to challenge up there though i expect Blackburn to do well, Watford to be in with a shout and Wolves to possibly have the momentum from their promotion. One of either of Cardiff or Fulham is likely to be in the mix and one will probably greatly under achieve. I will say, without huge confidence, that we will be the team in the mix.

Do I want us to do well? Yes,

would I want us to go bk up? our promotion to the premiership was marred by the malky saga and the ongoing red/blue debate, Would it be different if we went up (malky saga aside)

anyhow

Fulham,
Norwich
Derby to go up

Everyone full of confidence about Cardiff then?   
Wigan 1st
Wolves 2nd
Play off winners Cardiff City

glasgowronnie wrote:Everyone full of confidence about Cardiff then?   
Wigan 1st
Wolves 2nd
Play off winners Cardiff City

  

Cardiff = Champions  

Rhys wrote:

glasgowronnie wrote:Everyone full of confidence about Cardiff then?   
Wigan 1st
Wolves 2nd
Play off winners Cardiff City

  

Cardiff = Champions  

Are you putting Money on it Rhys?

City & Derby autos, Wigan play-offs

glasgowronnie wrote:

Rhys wrote:

glasgowronnie wrote:Everyone full of confidence about Cardiff then?   
Wigan 1st
Wolves 2nd
Play off winners Cardiff City

  

Cardiff = Champions  

Are you putting Money on it Rhys?

Was going to ask you the same thing Ronnie :)

I did last time we were champions Ronnie and that paid off!

It's too tough to call, but City will go up. The squad is too good and I think OGS' potential as a manager will start to shine through. The match against Wolfsburg, first fifteen minutes aside, showed we are a dangerous team

Toastie makes a valid point about unrealistic expectations of relegated clubs and  WalesOnline highlights today that it is more difficult to get promoted if you don't do it the first season following relegation.

I would point out that many clubs relegated are on a downward spiral, losing key players through economic considerations amid an atmosphere of doom & gloom.  That is not the case at City.  

Last season has been written off as a disaster, but the club has regrouped, cleared out the dead wood and moved swiftly to supplement a squad with some really excellent players.

The squad we have already is far superior to that of the promotion season and I think a lot of other teams are going to wish they had stayed at home, rather than faced City.

Yes, the defence and slow starts to games still have to be sorted out, but we know that is work in progress.  Over a 46 game season, I can't see anyone getting close to City.

TDA wrote:Toastie makes a valid point about unrealistic expectations of relegated clubs and  WalesOnline highlights today that it is more difficult to get promoted if you don't do it the first season following relegation.

I would point out that many clubs relegated are on a downward spiral, losing key players through economic considerations amid an atmosphere of doom & gloom.  That is not the case at City.  

Last season has been written off as a disaster, but the club has regrouped, cleared out the dead wood and moved swiftly to supplement a squad with some really excellent players.

The squad we have already is far superior to that of the promotion season and I think a lot of other teams are going to wish they had stayed at home, rather than faced City.

Yes, the defence and slow starts to games still have to be sorted out, but we know that is work in progress.  Over a 46 game season, I can't see anyone getting close to City.

  

Without a crystal ball to see what potential cock-ups can occur this season, you've made a few good points there TDA   

And flair for the optimism

Slumdog's Son wrote:

TDA wrote:Toastie makes a valid point about unrealistic expectations of relegated clubs and  WalesOnline highlights today that it is more difficult to get promoted if you don't do it the first season following relegation.

I would point out that many clubs relegated are on a downward spiral, losing key players through economic considerations amid an atmosphere of doom & gloom.  That is not the case at City.  

Last season has been written off as a disaster, but the club has regrouped, cleared out the dead wood and moved swiftly to supplement a squad with some really excellent players.

The squad we have already is far superior to that of the promotion season and I think a lot of other teams are going to wish they had stayed at home, rather than faced City.

Yes, the defence and slow starts to games still have to be sorted out, but we know that is work in progress.  Over a 46 game season, I can't see anyone getting close to City.

  

Without a crystal ball to see what potential cock-ups can occur this season, you've made a few good points there TDA   

And flair for the optimism

Hear hear!

I'm going to demolish all that optimism by saying i reckon Derby will be champions and Wigan all win be runners up. Cardiff I expect to make an early charge and maybe even top the league by Christmas, but I don't think we have the legs to sustain a challenge, particularly in defence. At this very point in time we'd have to rely on out scoring the opponent every match, and that's not viable over a whole season.

Rhys wrote:

glasgowronnie wrote:

Rhys wrote:

glasgowronnie wrote:Everyone full of confidence about Cardiff then?   
Wigan 1st
Wolves 2nd
Play off winners Cardiff City

  

Cardiff = Champions  

Are you putting Money on it Rhys?

Was going to ask you the same thing Ronnie :)

I did last time we were champions Ronnie and that paid off!

Just put £20 @ 8-1 for Cardiff to win the league Rhys

Predictions in full: http://www.footyplace.com/features/norwich-to-top-championship-charlton-to-prop-up-pile-0808298541